1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece that displays information with hands.
2. Description of Related Art
Analog electronic timepieces have been known that display the time and date by electrically operating stepping motors to rotate gears and hands in cooperation with the gears. Some analog electronic timepieces can switch the displayed local time among different time zones, display an alarm time, and provide stopwatch and timer functions. Multi-function electronic timepieces measure various physical quantities, such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, azimuth, and the direction of gravitational force, and display information on such physical quantities with the hands.
The hands of such an analog electronic timepiece are often shifted between different indication positions to switch the display of local time, measured values, and functions. The rapid shift of hands can be carried out only at a limited rate. Thus, the switching of the display usually requires a certain time corresponding to the distance of the shifting of hands. A technique is known for reducing the time required for rapid shift of the hands without excess consumption of electric power (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-162980 and 2011-069621).
Unfortunately, the rate of simple rapid shift of the hands of such an electronic timepiece is limited to a certain level. Thus, the user still has to wait until the updated value is displayed after the rapid shift.